Winter Masquerade
by Sturmgeschuts
Summary: Kagami receives an unusual invitation just before the holidays. Challenge fic, info inside.


Written as an entry to the Holiday challenge for the MLSF, this is based on a real event in the author's life, but the real event was not as interesting.

* * *

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"Yes, sir, I'll see it done right away." Taking a request form into her office, the rising star of the law firm put together a request for an increase in the pay for new employees. It had been a standard routine every day since she joined; taking forms from one room to another, putting in requests for her boss, and taking these forms to the company CEO's secretary to be assessed. It was a continuous, monotonous, and exhausting process that took its toll on Kagami's patience while she continued her training, hoping to become a prosecution lawyer. As she handed the document to the secretary, a tone rang through the building signalling the end of the workday for the lower station employees.

As Kagami grabbed he coat from her office she stopped to look at a row of pictures she kept on her desk. The first one was her best friend from high-school and her father, somewhere in a tropical setting with cameras at the ready. Konata had been convinced by her father to go on a photography trip to the Amazon, and every week she somehow sent a photo to Kagami in an email. The next picture was a shapely physician in an office with her mother and adopted daughter. Miyuki had graduated from a medical university with top honours and had started a new clinic...Kagami was unsure of the circumstances that had led to her adopting a child, but she would wait until Miyuki told her. The final picture featured a young woman very similar to herself, but with shorter hair and a softer expression. The picture itself was old, and Kagami hadn't seen her sister in a few years, but she knew she was the same...Tsukasa wasn't the kind of person to change. Kagami didn't remember why she didn't speak with her sister; she'd just stopped receiving letters after a certain point and had been too preoccupied to look into it.

As the lawyer trainee slipped into her car, she thought about the coming holiday season. When she was younger she'd spend it with her family, tending to the shrine for New Years with her sister. The last few years she just sent a few cards and packages, and received them in turn...but she didn't get one from Tsukasa the previous year. With the holiday came the fear of gained weight from overindulgence and a sharp increase in activity as scams and law suits wreaked havoc after the season. She had two days off for the winter solstice so she could work over the holidays. That was the reason the company favoured her over the other trainees, she was always available to work for major holidays, and only took days off on days when the firm wouldn't need her. She never complained, never took a sick day, and never talked back. She was, in a sense, the perfect employee.

She pulled into the small parking lot in front of the small apartment where she lived and made her way to the door that held the rest of her life. As she pulled her keys from her pocket, Kagami spotted the corner of an envelope sticking out of her mailbox. She grabbed it and slipped into her small apartment.

After taking a shower and brewing some tea, Kagami sat down at her kitchen table and examined the letter. It had been hand delivered, bearing no return address and the typed name: Hiiragi Kagami is basic font. Opening the letter, the young woman found the contents contrasted greatly with the envelope. Embroidered in gold and tied with a ribbon, she was able to identify it as an invitation to a winter solstice ball. Slipping the ribbon off the card, she found herself looking at a beautifully illustrated picture of a masked woman in a long dress.

_Hiiragi Kagami,_

_You are formally invited to a masquerade ball held on the night of the winter solstice. The address you must attend is on the back of the card._

_Your arrival is highly anticipated, please do not fail us._

_-Anonymous_

Kagami stared at the invitation disbelievingly for a moment before she snapped to attention. Normally she'd just ignore the invitation and stay at home for her holiday, but as she fingered the card, she noted that the embroidery was real gold leaf. She realized that this was either really important to someone, or it was extremely prestigious and was not to be passed up. Though some part of her mind figured it was no more than a senseless joke, a part of her really wanted to go and see if it was real.

That night she had trouble sleeping.

* * *

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It was the holiday rush, Kagami could tell. People were scurrying all over the town in an attempt to purchase gifts that they would give to their loved ones to appease the spirit of 'giving' and make themselves look good. She was amongst the thrall of people with the intent to find some decent footwear, as her own work shoes had begun to develop a hole in the heel. As she browsed the shops, she came across one that had a very eye-catching blue dress in the window of a relatively small boutique. Momentarily forgetting her hunt for footwear, Kagami stopped in front of the window to admire the article of clothing. It was slightly form-fitting with a dark blue ribbon around the waist and a cape-like cover for the bare left arm, the other left uncovered. Atop the mannequin sat a wide-brimmed blue sun hat with a black mask covering the lifeless plastic below, while a pair of navy blue dancing shoes were on the feet. Kagami stared into the window for a moment, dazed by the sight.

"Ma'am? Are you all right?" The store clerk had come out of the shop to investigate the strange woman now fogging her windows. The sight of the young woman's face caused her to gasp in surprise. "Hiiragi-san?"

At the sound of her name, Kagami whirled towards the store clerk in surprise. "Minegishi?" She relaxed upon coming face to face with her old college roommate and High School classmate. "You work here?"

Nodding, Ayano gestured for Kagami to enter the store. "Here, I'll put on some tea and we can catch up inside." She led the young woman into the warm, cozy shop filled with handmade clothes and accessories. She left the room and left just a smiling employee busy with fitting a mannequin with another dress and Kagami, now sitting at a table near the back behind the counter. When she returned she brought two cups of hot tea and a plate of cookies. "I couldn't help but notice you were looking at the dress in the window...are you interested in buying it?"

Kagami almost choked on her tea, but composed herself with her usual professional airs. "I do think it's nice, but I'm not sure I would find a use for such a thing." She was lying of course; she did have a use for it, the Winter Solstice ball that she had been invited to was perfect for such a gown, but she was still unsure if she should go. "Actually, I have a question. I've been invited to a...social gathering for the Solstice and I'm not sure if I should go. What do you think?"

The blonde woman seemed thoughtful for a moment, before regaining her usual cheerful expression. "I'd tell you to choose whatever you wanted, but it's clear you don't know. If the social gathering you speak of is the one I'm thinking of, then I must point out it would be quite rude to decline the invitation."

Kagami was taken aback by Ayano's ability to guess the event in question. "B-but, how did you—"

"—guess? The solstice ball is being held by my business partner and I, and the invitation list has passed through my hands several times. I assure you, it will be a fun night. I do hope you decide to attend." She closed her eyes and smiled sweetly with her fingers hands crossed under her chin.

The other woman failed to respond immediately, instead staring blankly at the table before her. After several minutes of this, she asked Ayano a question. "How much does the dress cost?"

The blonde store-clerk put a finger to her chin, then answered with a smile, "With the hat, shoes, and mask; nothing at all, it has already been purchased and readied for your use by my partner."

Kagami was speechless as the young store employee was called over and instructed to remove the dress from the mannequin. It wasn't until the box containing the gown was placed in front of her that she came to her senses. "Just who is your partner? How did they know I'd be here? Why go through all of this to get me to go to the ball?"

"That, Hiiragi-chan, is something you'll have to ask my partner yourself." Ayano ushered her out of the building and locked the door, changing the sign from "open" to "closed for the night."

* * *

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Kagami stared at herself in her bedroom mirror once she had changed. The dress fit her perfectly, and was very comfortable to wear, feeling as if it were weightless. She had tied her hair off to the side which did not have a cover for the arm. The mask barely obscured her vision and the hat wasn't nearly as encumbersome as it had appeared. The dress literally seemed like it had been made especially for her, and had she not been looking in the mirror, she would have sworn she was in nothing more than her pyjamas.

As she slid into her car she put the hat and mask off to the side then, making sure not to catch her dress, closed the car door and started the car. As she drove to the address written on the card now sitting on her dashboard a myriad of questions circulated through her mind. Some were as simple as wondering why she was going through with this on her only holiday before the New Year, while others were about how Ayano's business partner had been able to know so much. She continued this thought process until she arrived at a large dancehall specially built for such occasions. To be able to afford to rent it on the Winter Solstice would require a substantial amount of funding, meaning that the mystery business partner was quite wealthy. She parked her car and put the hat and mask on before stepping from the vehicle. She was welcomed by a masked man at the door and was asked to present her invitation.

Inside the building were many people already dancing and socializing with other masked guests, creating a scene not out of place in a movie. She stood near a buffet table and watched as others made their way around the dance floor, stepping to a slow, steady beat. An elderly gentleman approached her and asked her to dance. As much as it embarrassed her, she knew it would be rude to decline...and besides, it wasn't like anyone would know who she was.

Now on the dance floor, she gently followed the man's lead until she was led into another dance by anther elderly gentleman. "How does this night find you miss?"

"I'm okay I guess...I've never been to this sort of event before." This dancer was sloppier than the other, but seemed surer of his steps.

He chuckled lightly as they approached the edge of the dance floor. "It's my first time too, my daughter taught me to dance just the other day."

Kagami traded off for a new partner once again, this time finding herself dancing with a child. "Well hello there little one, how are you tonight?"

"The shorter person seemed offended by the statement. "I'm not a child! I'm a woman in my late twenties, I'm just rather short."

Kagami felt a wave of dread wash over her upon hearing the response and the voice giving it. _"Oh crap, I think I know who this is!"_ For the remainder of their dance she was uncomfortable, and was relieved to be passed off to a different partner. Another much shorter person, but the humming assured her that it was indeed a child this time. "Are you here with your parents tonight?" These small attempts at conversation were making time go faster to her, so she thought it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to socialize.

"I'm here with my Okaa-san and my Oba-san!" The vibrant cheerfulness of the girl was in stark contrast with the uncomfortable atmosphere given off by the previous dance partner Kagami had.

"And what does your mommy do?" She received a signal in return, signifying that this was a secret. Before she knew it, Kagami had been passed off to another partner. The next one was a young woman who was by far the most skilled dancer Kagami had been paired up with all night.

The woman wore a black and orange dress with a white mask, her blonde hair covering half the mask. "I trust you are having a wonderful time tonight?" The woman's voice was hushed and somewhat sultry, and she smelled of roses.

Sugar-coating her words, Kagami replied, "I'm just not used to these kinds of events. I'm having a pleasant time, but I'm not sure if this is my kind of entertainment." She didn't much like social gatherings. Although she liked being in the company of others, she had grown too used to being on her own, and all the close contact and crowds in the ballroom was something that made her uncomfortable.

"No worries, I know someone who will make you feel right at home." And with that the woman passed Kagami off to a new dance partner.

The smell of cookies and sweets filled Kagami's nose as she found herself dancing with another young woman of the same height as her. The woman was dressed in light blue and white, donning a white hat similar to Kagami's and wore a light tan mask. "I've finally found you, I was wondering if my guest of honour had shown up at all." Her voice was as sweet as the smell she emitted, and awfully familiar to Kagami.

"Then you're Minegishi-san's business partner? The one so determined to have me here?" Kagami felt herself salivating at the smell, having a weakness for baked goods. "I have a great deal of questions for—"

"—the two of us? I know you're curious as to why you were invited." She led Kagami from the dance floor and to a balcony where the blonde woman in the black and orange dress. "Our guest has grown curious it seems. Whatever shall we do? Shall we answer her directly? Or shall we play some games with her?"

"I think we shall answer whichever ones we please." The blonde woman leaned against the railing and crossed her arms.

Kagami had many questions, but she decided to get the important ones out of the way first. "How did you know I would stop at the dress store?"

The one to answer was the Blonde woman. "I asked one of your co-workers as to what you might do over your holiday. She told me you had wanted to get some new shoes, after that it was a simple matter of knowing which store you'd choose. The store you like is very conveniently placed for us, so part of it was luck. Had you chosen to make your purchase somewhere else, we would have been out of luck and probably would have had the dress delivered."

The knowledge possessed by the woman about Kagami's place of employment and preferences was slightly disturbing to the lawyer in training. "Why am I the guest of honour? I'm just an employee at a law firm."

This question was answered by the sweet smelling woman in white and blue. "It was simply because you are important, and were the most difficult to convince to attend. I could not host this ball without you, otherwise all the people I treasure wouldn't be here."

Now Kagami had a good idea as to who the woman was, but just to be sure... "Who are you?"

The two women on the balcony before her chuckled. The sultry blonde raised her hand and removed her mask. "I gave you the dress you now wear, and helped prepare most of the buffet for the guests." Ayano's voice changed from sultry to her usual calm, composed voice as she spoke. "I do wonder, how was the tea yesterday?"

Before Kagami could answer, the second woman removed her mask. "I have missed you Onee-chan, I hope you've had a great time here tonight.

Kagami found herself paralyzed with surprise. The entire time she had been attending a large reunion with her family and friends, and she hadn't known at all! "But why all this? Couldn't you have just called me? A visit over some coffee would have done just fine!"

Tsukasa smiled and leaded against Ayano. "This was so much more fun though, and it also gives me a great chance to make an announcement to many people at once." She put her mask back on and stood up straight, Ayano mimicking her movement.

"Announcement? What sort of announcement?" Kagami was confused, but the sound of the crowd quieting inside told her that she was about to find out. She followed her sister back into the main ballroom and stood off to the side of the stage her twin now stood on with Ayano.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the grand unmasking. I request that you remove your masks and show your faces to everyone, you might be pleasantly surprised." Upon removing the masks there was an uproar of surprise as people came face to face with friends and family that until a moment ago had been complete strangers. Kagami recognised her respective dance partners after their unmasking. The first one, the silent elderly man, had been her own father Tadao, who now stood beside his wife and Kagami's mother Miki. The second man, much to Kagami's horror, had been none other than Soujiro Izumi, her best friend's father. Third had been that friend, Konata, confirming the suspicions Kagami had on the dance floor. The last one was a girl she recognised from the photo on her desk, now standing beside her adopted mother and grandmother. Atop the stage, Ayano move up to the microphone and began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have an important announcement to make, my business partner and I."

Kagami tilted her head and listened as the room fell silent. Tsukasa began to speak now, "Friends, family, it is difficult to find love in modern times, and we all know this equally well. While some of us fall in love many times, but never marry, others might marry multiple times. Some, like myself, wait until we find someone who we can never get angry with, always agree with alike minds, yet have our differences." She took hold of Ayano's hand and pulled her close. "This spring we will be marrying, I do wish you all would attend our ceremony."

The room was instantly silent save the occasional gasp or sharp breath as the news sank in. The silence continued, and each second visibly took its toll on the couple on the stage. Kagami herself was shocked at the sudden turn of events she was presented with. When had this happened? Kagami had known Tsukasa all her life and there was never any sign that she preferred women over men. Ayano had been Kagami's classmate and friend throughout high school and college, having had a boyfriend at some point, so it was certainly a shock, though Kagami would admit that she didn't know the girl that well. Looking up at the stage after five minutes had passed she was met with the sight of a pair of frightened women, unsure of the silence. Then, from the back of the room, someone began to clap. Another person began to clap much louder, than several others started. Even Kagami found herself clapping for her sister, even though she was still shocked from the news, she couldn't stand to see her sister scared, and each new set of applause seemed to put the girl at ease. Soon, the entire room was filled with applause for the union of the two young business partners and CEO's of the largest catering company in Japan.

Kagami found it in her heart to accept the union, seeing that it was best for her sister. The girl had found a good person, and had become successful in life. It was then that Kagami realized why she hadn't heard from Tsukasa. Not only had she been busy with her company, she had probably been afraid that someone might find out about her relationship before she was ready to tell anyone. It seemed silly to her now, that her sister was afraid that she might not accept her.

As Kagami made her way towards her car that night, something from her place of employment occurred to her. There had been talk of a Christmas party and they wanted a professional caterer to set up the party. Kagami felt they wouldn't mind if she put forth a suggestion.

* * *

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Personally, I hate going to dances, but I decided to attend the Winter Ball here, I had a great time! So a happy end was a must!

I apologize if this seems rushed, the holiday season made it difficult to find time to write. I hope you enjoyed this taste of a completely new pairing that has been floating around my mind for some time...I may write about the two sometime in the future, but for now:

**Erholsame Ferien****!**

-Sturmgeschuts**  
**


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